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Jamal Igle Wraps DC Exclusive

Often in comics, publisher’s announce exclusive contracts for talent with great fanfare, but it’s less common for those exclusives to expire in the public eye. Today, artist Jamal Igle turned that idea around.

On his personal blog, the artist currently drawing DC Comics mini series “The Ray” announced that with the finish of the series, so too has his exclusive contract with the publisher expired. “As of last Saturday, I am no longer exclusive to DC Entertainment/ Warner Bros,” Igle wrote. “Frankly, this has been a long time coming,While I was very happy for many years to be exclusive, There comes a time when you’re ready to move on. There’s no animosity, in fact just the opposite. I’ve never been calmer or more centered than I have since I made this decision. I was forced to turn down a lot of outside opportunities while I was exclusive because I was so busy that I couldn’t take them on or contractually unable to do them.”

Igle spent seven years on contract for DC where he became a ubiquitous creator on the publisher’s superhero line with an acclaimed run on “Supergirl” with writer Sterling Gates to his credit amongst other jobs. “This is a big deal for me,” he added. “A lot of my identity for the better part of a decade was tied up into being a part of DC’s internal talent pool. Hell, I started working at DC when I was a teenager. I’ve done more work for DC than any other publisher. However, it became clear to me that I needed to be more than that again, not just ‘DC Exclusive Artist Jamal Igle.’ I remain a DC Comics fan, I’m exceedingly proud of the work I’ve done. Still, I’m a different person now, and hopefully a better artist, than I was seven years ago. I will always be thankful for the trust the DCE placed in me for so long.”

Igle explained that he’s already got worked lined up at other publishers that will be announced soon, and he’s also searching for more new projects including the possibility of some creator-owned work along with commission pieces.